I'm a dad, it's as simple as that. My partner has given birth and the change is complete. Overnight I've gone from wearing skinny jeans to corduroy trousers and baggy jumpers, and with it my taste in music has plummeted to such depths of unfashionability that I now listen to Classic FM by choice. Okay, so maybe I've not fallen that far just yet, but I know it's coming.
This evolution of character has been as rapid as the onset of indigestion, and each new day brings with it a new fatherly revelation. I'm now unafraid of the dirty nappy, and if I'm being honest I get quite excited waiting to see what's arrived in the bottom of my baby's sleepsuit. I also harbour no doubts when I venture into the chemist looking for pregnancy related treats. I keep thinking how mortified I'd have been as a teenager if I'd had to do the same thing, but no, not now. Now I've actively made friends with the ladies behind the counter and I've no embarrassment in asking for nipple shields or breast pads. I've truly become a modern man.
So despite it being just four days since she arrived, my baby has taught me many things already. I'm now better than ever at fitting stuff into the tiny bundles of free minutes that rarely come my way. I've also become a master-swaddler - a king of the super-fast wrap - and I also make a pretty mean burper too. Watch out world, there's a whole new wind-making machine living in my house!
And even though I've been bombarded with a million new experiences, and learnt many new skills, there's another more important thing that's appeared. Someone once told me that the best part of having a baby was the amount of sweetness that enters your life, and he was right. Sleep may be lacking, but without a doubt life is suddenly much, much sweeter.